Estate agents have a tough time of it. In the public eye they are long on unfulfilled promises and heavy on hair gel. In the league of the most loathed trades, they are up there with bankers and politicians (not to mention journalists).

They are not all like that, however. In 12 years writing about property, I have seen at first hand how the best local agents deal with clients in an up-close-and-personal way. Their offices are places where people drop in for a chat. Often they are pillars in communities, sponsoring fetes or funding charities.

So we are doffing our caps to Britain’s 20 best small agencies as homeowners prepare for the selling season. We discounted the “big boy” agents in national or global chains for this round-up, to focus on those working within a small geographical area and those with innovative online techniques. We also took it for granted that the agents were good at their basic jobs – we wanted those who went further.

I have visited many of the top 20. Others were nominated by their clients or by professional buying agents, who see them in action during hard-nosed negotiations.

We have judged whether the contenders live up to the promises, assessed their rapport with local communities and got feedback from the general public.

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The bad agents make the headlines, but the good ones make clients and buyers happy with the minimum of fuss and maximum care. Here is our guide to the best-value small agent

1 Douglas & Gordon (South-west London)

When an estate agency wins national attention by making viral internet adverts cruelly parodying its own industry, you know it is special. Homes on sale are classified as “artsy”, “bohemian”, “hip” and “trophy”. The firm’s spokesman, Ed Mead – star of BBC television reality show Chelsea Lives a few years back – attends viewings in his leathers on his motorbike. Behind the razzamatazz lies substance, however: a seller described the service he received as “better than Harrods”. To emphasise transparency, the firm publishes the numbers of properties and buyers on its books, while staff at its 14 offices speak 17 languages, including Russian and German. It has a weekly poll online and its website carries guides to London’s property hot spots (020 7963 4600; douglasandgordon.com).

2 Finders Keepers (Oxfordshire)

This 40-year-old lettings agency is strong on ethics. It employs staff on a fixed salary, not on commission, and puts small teams in local offices to ensure they know their patches. There is a 24-hour emergency line for tenants and landlord clients, and an in-house repairs firm. Occupancy and rent collection figures are available on its website (01865 297999; finders.co.uk).

3 Streets Ahead (Surrey)

One buying agent said she was very impressed with the customer care of this firm, which has been around for 22 years. It has a property café which exhibits local artists, and also an online magazine packed with helpful information. The firm sponsors local events, and every member of staff has spent a night outside helping the homeless. It deals with homes from £300,000 to £3 million, ideal for anyone relocating from London for better schools and a more relaxed lifestyle (streetsahead-estateagents.co.uk).

4 Mobility Friendly Homes (Online, national)

This unique agency emphasises what most others ignore – those unsexy features in homes that make them suitable for people with disabilities. It accepts private house sale ads and those from mainstream estate agents, provided properties are “mobility friendly” with ramps, level ground, lifts and wide doorwayss (08456 120280; mobilityfriendlyhomes.co.uk).

5 Georgian Property (Online, national)

This is a low-cost, internet-only agency run by the Georgian Group, an architectural charity highlighting features on homes which most other estate agents overlook. Most sellers’ fees go towards preserving or restoring old property. The website is stylish and has detailed histories of the homes for sale. Properties start from £289,950 for a five-bedroom house in Long Sutton, Lincolnshire, to a five-bedroom Georgian villa in Little Venice, north London, for £5.25 million (020 7529 8921; georgianproperty.com).

6 Bedfords (East Anglia)

This family firm was established 45 years ago and James and Michael Bedford, sons of the original owners, are still heavily involved. The firm emphasises its knowledge of local areas in Bury St Edmunds, Aldeburgh and Burnham Market. “They are a class act,” insists Sarah Broughton of buying agency PrimePurchase. And they are the people to go to for East Anglian homes from £250,000 upwards (020 7467 5330; bedfords.co.uk).

7 Dacre, Son & Hartley (Yorkshire)

A no-nonsense agency with 21 offices in one county covering a huge price range – £20,000 to £3 million-plus. Its website is simple, and features a jargon-buster, tips for preparing for sale and a prominent complaints procedure. The firm also runs an Investors Club, trying to match properties to the budgets and ambitions of existing or would-be buy-to-let landlords (01423 877200;dacres.co.uk).

8 PDQ Property (West Cornwall)

Having only one office doesn’t necessarily indicate a lack of ambition. PDQ operates a free drop-in property advice clinic advertised on Facebook plus Twitter and publicises local events on its website. It also has its own smartphone app and runs a special service for movers with elderly relatives. The agency has won awards for customer care and has been a housing market consultant to RBS and credit agency Standard & Poor’s (01326 561561;pdq-estates.co.uk).

9 East of Exe (Devon)

This agency has formed close links to the community: two per cent of its commission goes to charity. It prides itself on shorter-than-average contracts, which means the firm must sell or rent quickly. This month, it is opening a second office in central Exeter (01392 877240;eastofexe.co.uk).

10 WA Ellis (Knightsbridge)

Even though it sells some of London’s most luxurious properties, it is lettings that makes this agency special. WA Ellis is headed by Lucy Morton, queen of London’s rental market for 30 years. She fights for higher standards in the market, having introduced the Association of Residential Lettings Agents’ Licensing Scheme, and is a member of the Property Standards Board. She also works with the Estate Agency Foundation, a charity which combats homelessness. “It is shocking that so many lettings agents remain unregulated,” she explains (020 7306 1600;waellis.co.uk).

11 Haus Properties (West London)

If over-the-top PR won awards this firm would be number one, but there is substance, too. Jamie Lester, a candidate on The Apprentice in 2010, says his “new style of estate agency” includes providing a financial run-down of each person viewing a seller’s home, and including moving costs in its fee. My mystery visit to his branch in Fulham confirmed that it looks more like a trendy kitchen than an office. The firm also offers sellers an internet timeline to follow viewings and interest. The future of estate agency (020 7751 0400;hausproperties.co.uk).

12 Unique (London)

This firm spotted a niche, one-off properties, and dominates it. Want to buy or rent a loft? A mews house? How about an artist’s studio? Unique has it and displays it on a slick website. The agency is ideal for those selling one-off properties, and claims to have clinched a deal on a home in all of London’s 32 boroughs (0870 900 4050; uniquepropertycompany.co.uk).

13 College & County (Oxford)

This lettings agency has a pro-tenant approach to managing 300-plus properties, and uses Facebook to get feedback from landlords and tenants. It has just won the Best Student Estate Agency award at the Estate Agency of the Year Competition and says it has not lost a client in 11 years (01865 722722;collegeandcounty.biz).

14 Killens (Somerset)

“Sally Killen and her husband, Tom, have lived in Somerset all their lives, and know the local property market inside out,” says Amanda Ake of Stacks Property Search. Their three offices cover residential and commercial property, sales and lettings, auctions and planning advice. They also cover the sale of fine art. This is a one-stop shop for selling, buying, extending or even demolishing (01761 241127;killens.org.uk).

15 House-Hut (Online, mostly Bristol, Bath and Cheshire)

TThis quirky agency has no high street shops, but sells homes US-style with different service levels ranging from a fixed-rate fee of £700 up to a 0.5 per cent commission. A Property Ombudsman survey gave the agency a 93 per cent approval rating. House-Hut handles everything from garages and plots to mid-priced homes of £500,000 (house-hut.com).

16 Williams & Goodwin The Property People (North Wales)

This is a serial award-winner at the Estate Agency of the Year Competition with a reputation for high levels of customer care, and expertise in auctions (it has links with an all-Wales auction house). Williams also has a neat line in marketing – the firm has its own square on the Anglesey version of Monopoly. The agency sells homes from £30,000 to more than £1 million (0845 0571111; tppuk.com).

17 Martyn Gerrard (North London)

Remember Telegraph columnist Mary Portas ripping into an estate agency on her Channel 4 programme Secret Shopper? It was this one. In response, Martyn Gerrard has cut the flannel and sorted itself out. It has increased details on properties, including a section about what sellers particularly love about their houses. There is also a new homes section starting at a cheap-for-London price of £170,000 (martyngerrard.co.uk).

18 Grantley (Surrey)

omments from clients include “lifesaver” and “problem solvers” for this small agency selling £1 million-plus homes. Its staff have particular knowledge of the different villages and communities in rural Surrey. “If they were a supermarket they would be Waitrose,” suggests Russell Hill of Harringtons UK buying agency (01483 893939;grantley.net).

19 Hayes Sales & Lettings (Herefordshire)

Increasing profit margins during a downturn is no small achievement. Colleen Hayes, who opened her office nine years ago, puts it down to “staff willing to work six days a week to win and satisfy customers”. She sells country houses and equestrian estates from £400,000 to £3 million, and has earned a reputation as the go-to agent in the area;(01531 630030;hayesgb.com).

20 Ralph Bending (Glastonbury)

This intentionally wacky agency tells it as it is – the brochure for a small flat said it would suit “a midget on a budget”. Another feature is “beat the estate agent”, where users can hit a picture of Bending’s face with a baseball bat, while Ralph Bending spouts impenetrable agentese. He has had grief with local papers and property portals over his descriptions, but clients are happy. In the end, that’s all that should really matter for an estate agent (01458 831212; ralphbending.com).

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT ESTATE AGENT

• Mystery shop: ask for details of properties on sale to assess the staffs’ performance. Visit on a Saturday to test any part-timers, too.

• Research which agents sell your type of home in your area. Rightmove.com and Primelocation.com show the agents most active on your patch.

• Find three good agents and invite them to value your home. Make a judgment on the combination of best price, experience at selling similar homes and their suggested approach to marketing.

• Ask agents for specific information on recent sales, prices and their promotional strategy. And remember – most buyers start online, so check the agents’ websites and which portals they advertise on.

• Fees range from one to 2.5 per cent, but always bargain hard.

• Consider incentivising agents with a higher fee for a quick sale. So they would get a higher rate if they sell in four weeks, say, and the fee reduces over time.

• Agree an opt-out clause to allow you to change agents after about 12 weeks.

TELL US YOUR VIEWS

Do you know a fantastic small estate agent? Post your reccomendation below or email property@telegraph.co.uk. You can also send a letter to Property, The Daily Telegraph, 111 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0DT.